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The Sprout
Botley’s Front Garden Competition is this month
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 158 June 2021
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The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,
Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Te l : 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Deliveries
Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox
15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk
Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is
welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.
Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the
last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all
other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact
sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact
the Advertising Manager.
Advertising rates:
½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £322
¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £161
1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £80.50
Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The
Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription only £12 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for
any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not
a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in
a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual
contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The Sprout is printed by Dataprint Ltd, and published by North
Hinksey Parish Publications Ltd, (a company limited by
guarantee) Registration No. 05609535.
It can also be found online at BotleyHinksey.org.uk
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The Sprout
Issue 158, June 2021
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
7 Parish Council for 2021
11 Memory Club and Heimat
13 Greening Botley
19 Botley Girls Football
21 Planning Applications
23 Wild World Heroes
25 More About Sewage
26 Botley School
29 Miles Gomme
33 Botley in Bloom
35 Patients’ Group
36 Randoms
39 Local organizations
From the Editor
What has happened since last month? The Neighbourhood Plan
has been voted in, for a start. And the County Council will now be
run by a more climate-aware coalition, so things may be looking up
for the planet. There are details of the reconfigured Parish Council
on page 7, and of plans for greening Botley on page 13. There’s
also an update on sewage pollution in the Seacourt Stream (p24),
with ideas for lessening the problem. The Flood Alleviation
Scheme, now inviting fresh questions, is raised on our Letters
pages (p3) and Randoms (p35) has details of the forthcoming
Parish Poll, and the new arrangements at the Tap Social and the
Foodhub. For the kids, Girls football gets a boost (p19), and the
Library is running its summer reading challenge (p23). How’s your
front garden coming along after all this rain? Have you booked
your visit from the Botley in Bloom judges yet? An email entry to
editor@thesprout.org.uk will do it (p33). Lots going on then, and
you can read all about it in the June Sprout.
Ag MacKeith
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Letters to the Editor
The Roman Bridge
I thought that I should respond to Ann Ford's enquiry (Sprout, December
2020) about the Willow Walk bridge in case nobody else does. The
bridge was built in 18778 as part of an ambitious plan for a Hinksey
Building Estate to be built above North Hinksey and linked to Oxford by
way of a completely new carriage road (Willow Walk) branching off the
ancient Ferry Hinksey causeway. The contractor died in 1878 and,
although a timber road bridge was built across the Bulstake Stream in
the early 1880s, no further progress was made on the estate. Willow
Walk remained a private road for decades until a footbridge was built in
1923 on the site of the decayed timber road bridge and the route
became the footpath it is today. The stone bridge is sometimes called
the Roman Bridge because the supposed Roman road from Frilford
through North Hinksey to North Oxford might have crossed the river
near here, but the bridge is undoubtedly Victorian! Similarly, Willow
Walk is sometimes said to have been the work of John Ruskin's
undergraduates who 'improved' the village road through North Hinksey
in 1874, but they certainly didn't engage in serious engineering work
and bridge building. I wrote up the story of the Hinksey Building Estate
for Oxoniensia in 1990 you can find it here:
https://www.oxoniensia.org/volumes/1990/graham.pdf
Malcolm Graham
Fields we love
Do you have favourite photographs of the Hinksey Fields and the
Seacourt Stream, from the Botley Road through the Fields and down to
the Abingdon Road? Landscape, wildlife, flora, people and animals?
A local group, including the Oxford photographer and publisher Chris
Andrews, would love to see your pictures with a view to producing a
small colour souvenir of the area as it is now.
The booklet will be distributed free with the Sprout, sponsored by local
people, businesses and the Hinksey and Osney Environment Group.
Please send any images that you would be happy to have reproduced,
from any device, including phones, to chris@cap-ox.com. Though no
fee is available, we hope you might be happy to join in. Please include
your name so they may be credited if used. Images may also appear on
the HOEG website.
Chris Andrews
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Concerns about the Flood Scheme
The Environment Agency (EA) have now issued their consultation on
their flood scheme, closing date 31st May.
Local residents, businesses, councillors and community groups need to
ask questions about the scheme, which involves excavating a vast 200-
metre-wide trench through the heart of Oxford’s greenbelt. Should this
go ahead, Oxford will witness the largest environmental catastrophe in
its history. The distinguished Oxford ecologist, Dr Tim King, calculates a
net loss of 160 biodiversity units, not the EA’s miscalculated 40-unit
gain.
The EA propose to transplant approximately one third of the rare MG4
grassland to a new location. Nobody can guarantee that the unique
plant communities will survive this move, because it’s not been done
before.
How will the 4000 planned tree saplings, which take 80 years to grow
into mature trees, compensate for the loss of nearly 4000 mature trees,
three miles of hedgerow and the birds, mammals and insects that de-
pend on them?
While Oxford needs a flood scheme, how can the EA justify a cost of
over £100,000 per house at a cost: benefit ratio calculated by two inde-
pendent Oxford economists of just £2 for every £1 spent?
Why is the Environment Agency not actively pursuing several engineer-
ing alternatives which have been shown to deliver the same or greater
benefits in flood protection, at less cost, and without the environmental
destruction and removal of thousands of tons of spoil necessitated by
the flood channel? How many lorry loads, going along what routes, and
for how long, will that entail?
A flood scheme that protects Oxford residents without destroying its
natural heritage is 100% possible. Nobody wants the delays and costs
of a public enquiry. We urge readers to make their views known.
We can provide further evidence on request.
Chris Sugden, Chair, Ferry Hinksey Trust
Dr Rod Chalk, Hinksey and Osney Environment Group
[They may take comments and questions for a few days after the
closing date. Always worth a try! Ed]
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Your Parish Council:
changes for the new Council year
Each May, North Hinksey Parish Council holds its Annual Meeting. This
is when we elect the Chairman and Vice Chairman, and agree the
members and chairmen of the various committees.
After six years as Chairman of the Parish Council, David Kay decided
not to stand again. We thank David and express our deep appreciation
of his hard work, dedication and diligent chairmanship since 2015. His
leadership has steered us through changing times and overseen the
achievement of some of our key objectives, including, most recently, the
referendum and adoption of the North Hinksey Neighbourhood Plan,
which David championed over seven years. We also appreciated his
calm leadership during the unprecedented disruption of COVID-19.
Replacing David as Chairman of the Parish Council is Caroline Potter
(see photo), who has been leading the R&A Committee for some years
and was previously Vice Chairman of the Council. The new Vice
Chairman is Lorna Berrett, and committee
chairmen are:
Recreation & Amenities (including
Louie Memorial Playing Fields):
Darren Blase
Planning: Adam Rankin
Environment & Wellbeing:
Chris Church
Communications: Lorna Berrett
Remembrance Day:
Graham Fairclough
There were not enough volunteers to form
an Allotments committee, so currently allotments matters will be dealt
with by the full council. We will discuss how to manage the parish-
owned allotments in the future at the 24th June Parish Council meeting.
Other roles agreed in our Annual Meeting include Parish Council
representatives on various bodies including the Seacourt Hall and Louie
Memorial Pavilion management committees, and local groups on
transport issues. For a full list see the Committees and Councillors
pages on our website.
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June’s Parish Council meeting will be in-person, as the emergency
Legislation to allow online meetings during the COVID pandemic
expired on 7th May and has not been extended by the Government.
Some committee meetings in May are currently being planned with
Councillors in person and members of the public joining online. If the
Government’s roadmap is on track, we could be holding in-person
meetings with members of the public present in Seacourt Hall from 24th
June, following whatever Government protocols are in place at that
time.
The Government have opened a call for evidence until 17th June to
understand the experience of local authorities regarding remote
meetings. NHPC held our meetings successfully over Zoom for the past
year, with attendance from members of the public at most meetings and
more than double the usual number of attendees at March’s Annual
Parish Meeting. Many of us feel that hybrid meetings with remote
attendees would be more inclusive for councillors and the public, but
these are not currently legal without a change in legislation. If you would
like to give your views on remote access to future Council meetings,
you can fill in the questionnaire online at:
https://consult.com munities .go v.uk/local-government-stewardship/local-
authority-remote-meetings-call-for-evidence/
We’ve got exciting things ahead of us this year, including designing a
new skate park and taking the next key steps towards a new pavilion.
Everyone is warmly invited to engage with us in this work for the benefit
of our diverse and growing community. Please check our website
(northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/) and follow our Facebook page
(facebo ok .co m /n o rthh ink s ey p c ) for updates on future meetings, as the
situation is subject to last-minute change depending on the national
COVID roadmap.
Cllr Lorna Berrett
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We have lift-off!
I am writing this at the end of the first week that the Kennington Memory
Club Day Centre has been in operation again after the Covid-19
closure. It felt very good to be able to open the doors again on May
10th, in a Covid-safe way, to members, old and new.
Hopefully we will be able to welcome more members again to each
session very soon, so more people with a diagnosis of dementia will be
able to benefit from the Day Centre sessions, and more carers will get
respite from their 24/7 responsibilities. We would like to invite potential
members, their families or carers to get in touch with the Club
Organiser, Helen, on 07852 883496, to discuss names going down for
the Club. There is more information on our website:
kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk
Isobel Birse
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Heimat
When does a place you live in become home?
When you have memories that linger on
of comfort, joy, sadness and tragedy;
messy reality, dreaming spires;
permanent gridlock on the Botley Road.
Pompey lose again to the yellow men.
The Ruskin labour aristocracy
rub shoulders with Oxford Uni elites.
St. Margaret’s church at Hinton Waldrist.
I am now “homo oxoniensis”.
Dan Ferrett
(who, like the Hinton Waldrist church, is a
new immigrant to Oxfordshire)
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Greening Botley and North Hinksey next steps:
can you help?
Following the meeting in March on looking after our green spaces,
North Hinksey Parish Council agreed in May to take this further. We are
focussing on three areas:
‘A cleaner, greener safer Botley’ ensuring that our green spaces
are well looked after;
‘New uses for local green spaces looking at ideas such as new
food growing areas;
‘Making more space for nature’ action to improve local biodiversity.
Some of this is work for the Parish Council. We will consider the green
spaces which we already manage and find ways to make them more
nature friendly, perhaps with more tree planting and wild flower spaces
around the edges. We will also review our pesticide use with the aim of
cutting back to the minimum necessary. We support the Hedgehog
Street initiative (www.hedgehogstreet.org), and will work with local
people to promote the ‘hedgehog highway’ (see below).
While most of our green spaces are protected, others are under
pressure from new development. We review all new planning
applications, though sadly our powers are limited when it comes to
stopping ones that we think damaging or inappropriate. However we
make a point of looking at ways current planning policies and processes
can promote local biodiversity in and around new developments, and
we will be taking this up with Vale District Council.
But there’s only so much
that we can do on our
own. If we are to make
lasting improvements,
we need your help. We
would like to set up a
Botley Green Spaces
Group (what should we
call it?). In this we can
learn from the work
being done by Cumnor
and Eynsham parishes
who have established a
‘Nature Recovery Network (https://www.nature-recovery-network.org/).
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We are fortunate in that we already have great groups of volunteers
looking after sites like Hinksey Heights, Raleigh Park (Friends of
Raleigh Park seen planting yellow rattle in the photo), and Hutchcomb
Copse and Fen we’d like to bring these and all interested people
together to look at ways to make sure we are as effective as possible.
A range of issues came up at the first meeting:
Roadside verges Parts of Botley are fortunate to have wide roads and
grass verges. For some these are useful parking spaces, but other
people view them as green spaces to be looked after. A few have been
sown with wild flowers and protected with stones, etc. We have
contacted Vale officers to discuss if we could ‘adopt a verge’ for suitable
roads. If you and your family would like to be part of this, please get in
touch via Environment@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk.
Local walks and green spaces. Lockdown has seen many more
people out in our green spaces. We could do with an on-line green
spaces map full of
information about each,
linked to local walks,
historical background, etc.
(Picture shows path along
Hutchcomb’s copse)
Perhaps we could
produce a printed poster
of Botley green spaces.
This ‘Parish Map’ could
be a lasting asset for the
Parish and the community
if you would like to help
make this happen please
get in touch via the email above.
Hedgehogs. We know that there’s a lot of them around the parish, but
more would be better! We have agreed to join ‘Hedgehog Street as a
parish and would like to encourage more people in the area to do so.
There’s more at: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ The simplest things
that you can do are: leave a small part of your garden to grow up a bit to
provide a place for hedgehogs to sleep during the day; create (by
agreement) a small ground level hole in your garden fence that lets any
hedgehogs travel to adjoining gardens; and put out some water (and
maybe dried cat food) for them to drink and eat.
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New uses for local green spaces. There is enthusiasm for new work
to make unused land more productive. Various pieces of land have
been identified e.g. the patch of grass on the corner of Crabtree and
Chestnut roads. In some cases there are questions about the ownership
of uncared-for bits of land. NHPC has agreed a small budget to do ‘land
registry’ searches to identify who owns these areas. If you’ve been
wondering why a patch of land
in your area is neglected and
can’t find out anything about it,
then do get in touch
Leaving wild alone! We also
recognise that we should
identify areas to leave
unmanaged to allow wildlife to
flourish. This works very well at
Hinksey Heights, where fallen
trees are left unless they are a
safety risk. Where areas have
been deliberately left for nature,
do we need a sign to say so?
(e.g. the copse off Toy n b ee C l o se, see photo).
The Oxfordshire ‘Great Big Green Week’ is coming! In September
communities across the UK will
join together for the ‘Great Big
Green Week’. It will be the
biggest event for climate and
nature ever held in the UK. It
takes place just five weeks
before the UN ‘COP26’ Climate
Conference in Glasgow. We
will use it to commit to more action to tackle the crisis we face and also
to celebrate what has been done. Different organisations are already
planning events. What can we do in Botley? What might YOU do?
There’s so much to do, and we need all the help we can get. If you
would like to be involved in any of this, please email:
environment@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk We will be holding an open
meeting in June (date tbc) to work out our next steps.
Chris Church
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Botley Girls FC
That’s right, Girls play football too! Botley Boys and Girls FC now have
a Wildcats (girlsfootball) group, set up to provide girls aged 5 to 11 with
a safe and fun place to learn about football. It’s non-competitive football
for girls who want to give it a go for the very first time or want to play
with other girls their own age. Most importantly, the Wildcats is all about
having fun, meeting new friends, getting active and boosting confidence
in a friendly sporting arena. Although I stated it was non-competitive,
when the girls are playing its quite clearly competitive and each and
every one of them mucks in, all aiming to score goals and impress their
friends (and parents cheering from the side lines).
First formed in October 2019 with eight girls who joined and then
trained strongly through winter,
the group has now grown in size
to twenty-plus girls who train eve-
ry Monday evening from 6pm till
7pm at Fogwell Road Recreation
Ground. Due to the age, size,
and varying abilities of the group,
training starts off in a single large
group. It usually entails a warm
up, followed by some non-football
games, and then a skills session.
The aim of the first part of training
is to build the team, create a
sense of belonging, and teach
the girls basic footballing skills.
From week to week the girls are
then encouraged to develop and
improve on the skills they are
taught.
For the second half of the session the girls separate into teams so that
two football games can be played. This is where the competitiveness
kicks in, with lots of noise, plenty of movement, excitement and even
the occasional tear. And that’s just the parents. The girls always have a
great time and return every week, even when its raining and blowing a
gale. Its wonderful to see the smiles and laughter of all the children,
with the added bonus of developing their skills, plus some fresh air and
exercise.
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We are always looking for more girls to join in
the energised fun, so if your girls are interest-
ed then please do make contact. Our email is:
botleygirlsfootball@gmail.com
The Wildcats and BB&G FC are always look-
ing for extra volunteers to assist with training,
coaching, general administration and running
the club in this wonderful community of ours,
so if you would like to help, or know someone
who might be interested in assisting, please
contact via the email above. We are always
looking for coaches and committee members to make sure that this
great club keeps going, and continues to provide a valuable opportunity
for exercise and team spirit for all our youth.
Nick Dunn, Darren Blase
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LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P21/V0947/HH
29 March
TDD: 24 May
P21/V1011/FUL
Variation of
P18/V1886/FUL
(approved )
1 April
Targe t Decision
Date:
27 May
P21/V1018/FUL
2 April
TDD: 28 May
P21/V1013/HH
6 April
TDD: 1 June
P21/V0856/HH
16 April
TDD: 11 June
P21/V1161/HH
19 April
TDD: 14 June
P21/V1107/HH
4 May
TDD: 29 June
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WILD WORLD HEROES
Go
wild
about your world by joining the
Summer Reading Challenge at Botley Library!
It starts on 10 July. You’ve got till 11
September to help the Wild World Heroes
save the environment of Wilderville.
Collect stickers and rewards as you
read library books over the summer holidays.
Complete your challenge to win a Wild World Heroes medal,
certificate and a keyring. Under 3s can take part in a mini
challenge with their own special card and stickers. Find out
more at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. Everyone who finishes
will be entered into an exciting prize draw!
Don’t miss out
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More About Sewage
We go on seeing sewage in the Seacourt Stream far too often, although
the Parish Council has now started to take an interest. There’s some
good news to report though. Sprout readers may remember the spill in
July 2016, when so many fish were killed. We showed a photo of
Thames Water’s efforts to aerate the water after the event. It was so
shocking that the Environment Agency brought Thames Water to book
for the spill. TW admitted the offence at High Wycombe Magistrate’s
Court in March this year and the case will go to Aylesbury Crown Court
in the Autumn for sentencing.
If only the likely large fine would stop TW from discharging sewage into
the river every time there’s heavy rainfall! But, sadly, that’s not going to
happen. The law allows such discharges because the alternative could
mean local houses getting sewage coming back up through their toilets
and drains the last thing anyone wants.
The problem is that the system was designed long ago for far fewer
houses. Rainfall from roofs and roads runs away in the foul water pipes
along with the sewage. We can hardly dismantle the existing system, so
we need to think of ways around it. Every paved front garden adds to
the problem, so we need to make sure the surfaces under our cars
permit drainage. At the same time, if we all collected as much of our
own rainwater as we can, and found ways to use it at home before it
went into the pipes, that would make a real difference.
Is funding available? Well, things are moving! There are Rainwater
Harvesting Grants and Water Capital Grants available for farms and
businesses as much as £350 per cubic metre for underground storage
tanks and pumps in farmyards, for instance but no grants as yet for
domestic use.
Isn’t this just the kind of thing that councils committed to fending off the
climate crisis could stimulate? Perhaps now we’ve got parish, district
and county councils all aware of the climate emergency, grants could be
found. A shared effort to install tanks and pipework in our houses to
flush our toilets with rainwater could start the ball rolling. It would be
great to get this going in Botley instead of leaving it to West Oxford.
Personally, I would love the Seacourt Stream to return to the way it was
a few decades ago, when it had a gravel bottom, lots of fish, and
children learned to swim in it. If we wait for Thames Water, it may never
happen. But we could do something ourselves, if we worked together.
What do people think? Ag MacKeith
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Finding a Voice at Botley School
At Botley School we like to hear what our children have to say, and this
term pupils have learned to express themselves in many different ways.
Firstly, following the local elections, some of our Year 5 children held
their own election campaigns, supporting issues which are meaningful
to them. Five parties devised their manifestos and during an online live
assembly (via Microsoft TEAMS) they held a hustings where candidates
presented their party’s aims. We heard from:
the School Trips Party’ who were looking to enrich the curricu-
lum through trips to places outside Botley;
the Fundraising Five Party’ who proposed holding fun activities
to raise money to support the wider curriculum;
the More Equipment in School Party’ for computers, play
equipment and much more;
the Emerald Explorers Party’ campaigning for more Forest
School sessions for Years 5 and 6;
and, finally, the Animals in School Party’ who were asking for
chickens and other animals which the children could help to
care for and learn animal husbandry.
The whole school was invited to vote in the purpose-made ballot box
placed outside the Head’s office! Children debated the issues and cast
their votes for their favourite party on the ‘official’ ballot paper provided.
The count revealed the Animals in School party had carried the day,
with twice as many votes as the next contender.
Year 6 pupils have been practising their public speaking by presenting
live to the school via video reciting poetry and Shakespeare, to
mention but a small part of their repertoire. We have found ways
around the Covid restrictions so that pupils can still manage to make
their voices heard at whole school assemblies. Children in Year 2 have
been developing drama skills to voice the strength of the giant, Finn
MacCool, as well as increasing vocabulary and empathy through
voicing other characters. We have also trained up two Forest School
Leads, to help children to find a voice in the outdoor environment.
As part of our internal monitoring we have held pupil conferences this
term. Children from all age-groups have discussed every aspect of
school life with senior leaders how teachers ask questions, behaviour
in school, what it is like being a second language student and other
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current topics. The children’s views are then fed back to staff to ensure
that we are listening to them and using their comments for positive
change. As teachers gear up to complete end of year school reports,
the children’s views on what went well helps inform us for next year so
we can do an even better job.
While we have tried to keep things as near to normal as possible during
this challenging year and a bit, we recognise that keeping children
talking and expressing their thoughts has been more important than
ever. We continue to be impressed by their resilience and their
keenness to be heard. The School Council is invaluable in drawing
attention to the ideas and thoughts of the community they represent.
As our oldest children transition to secondary school we have organised
a programme of activities for them to explore their feelings about
moving on. Giving them the chance to air their thoughts, providing help
where necessary, will hopefully see the transition as smooth and as
purposeful as possible. This will involve parents’ voices, too,
completing the circle of support. Listening to children and helping them
to find their voice is an essential part of their education, and one we are
happy to facilitate here at Botley School.
Jo Reid, Headteacher
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Miles Gomme at Botley Arts
Botley Arts is truly excited to announce that we are back in action! We
reopene d on Monday, May 17th, with Miles Gomme's dramatic Black
and White representations of New York City. (See following pages.)
This is how he describes himself and his project:
My name is Miles Gomme. I’m an Oxford-based event and portrait
photographer. I’ve professionally covered music, running and social
events, including weddings, as well as portraiture and headshots.
Privately I capture street photography, in a candid documentary style,
showing life in detail and with humour.
For my third exhibition, I'm telling the story of “50 miles around New
York, through the photos I took, as I walked 50 miles through the city,
over 5 days to celebrate my 50th birthday.
It was my first time to New York, but it had been on my bucket list as a
place to photograph for a long time. Having seen it in so many movies
and heard so many stories about the city, I wanted to see and feel it for
myself. My wife and I walked the streets with my camera always to hand
and gathered images of what we saw over those busy days.
I’d expected noise, dirt and overcrowding but the contrast between the
glitz and glamour and reality of life and poverty was very strong. Times
Square was just too full, but I took an image that captures it perfectly.
The Chrysler building was spectacular, as was the view from the top of
the Empire State building. The Guggenheim Museum was architectural-
ly interesting, as was the Flat Iron quarter. We frequented the cafés on
the side streets, where the locals ate, trying to get a feel of the real life
around us. “This is the Big Apple!”
Each print can be reproduced, but will be limited to a maximum of 10, in
different sizes, with or without a frame as desired. Please contact me for
further details on milesgimages.com, phone me on 07794 717333 or
email me at milesgomme@me.com
St Peter & St Paul's Church is open Monday to Saturday, 10am 4pm
and 12 4pm on Sundays. Entrance is free, and don’t forget to sign
our new Visitors Book!
If you are unable to visit the exhibition in person, do look at our website:
Botleyarts.uk where you will find a selection of Miles Gomme's photo-
graphs, and the work of past exhibitors.
Jennie Hopkins, Chair, Botley Arts
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Have you entered yours yet?
BOTLEY IN BLOOM
!
!
FRONT&GARDEN&COMPETITION&!
all#across#the#parish#during#June.#!
Sponsored(by(North(Hinksey(Parish(!
Council(and(organized(by(the(Sprout. !
!
THREE%CLASSES:!
Ø BEST%FRONT%GARDEN!
Ø !BEST%CULTIVATED-WILDLIFE'FRONT'GARDEN!
Ø BEST%USE%OF%VEGETABLES%IN%A%FRONT%GARDEN!
!
Closing(date!June%18th!
Results'announced'in'July'Sprout!
No#entry#form#needed!
Entry&by&email&to&editor@thesprout.org!
You can enter
ANY FRONT GARDEN
in the parish you think
deserves to be noticed
(ask first!),
including your own.!!
See our Facebook page
36
!
37
Botley and Kennington Patients Participation Group
Emma Teasdale from Healthwatch Oxfordshire joined the Botley Sur-
gery PPG meeting on Tuesday 27th April 2021 to talk about its work.
Healthwatch Oxfordshire is the county’s independent health and social
care watchdog, which works to help shape and improve health and
social care services in the county. It does this by listening to what chil-
dren, young people and adults have to say about local health and social
care services, whether it is praise, criticism, or ideas for improvement.
Healthwatch Oxfordshire then passes on what it hears to service pro-
viders and commissioners and holds them to account on how they use
this feedback.
Emma’s role within Healthwatch Oxfordshire is to provide support to
Patient Participation Groups (PPGs). She does this by organizing
events that bring PPGs together and keeping them informed on how
they can best support their surgeries. Healthwatch Oxfordshire also
runs a series of regular webinars for PPGs. These have recently
focussed on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout programme in Oxford-
shire, social prescribing in the county and, more recently, on recruiting
new PPG members and increasing representation of all patients. Please
take a look at w ww.healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/ppgs to find out
more about these webinars and the work of PPGs.
You can get in touch with Healthwatch Oxfordshire by calling 01865
520520 or emailing hello@healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk
Healthwatch Oxfordshire also has a feedback centre at
www.healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/services where people can share
their experiences of using local services including GP surgeries,
hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, care homes and more.
The next meeting of our local PPG
is by zoom on Tuesday 8th June
from 67.30pm. We will be joined
by doctors from the Botley Medical
Centre. The zoom link is here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85296
376510 Meeting ID: 852 9637
6510
Chris Sugden (Secretary)
38
Randoms
Do you enjoy sewing, crochet, knitting?
I am thinking of starting a group meeting at my house. The idea would
be to share our skills, learn more, enjoy the company, drink coffee and
eat cake. Would need to be during the day. Anyone welcome. If you
want to find out more about the Slow Stitching I do, please check out
https://www.annebrooke .co.uk . Let me know by phone on 07961 900670
or by email at: Cockman.caroline@gmail.com I’d love to hear from you.
Caroline Cockman
Parish Poll on renewing the Scout Hut lease
It’s not surprising people got a bit confused over this request at the
parish council’s Annual Parish Meeting in March. Who knows when one
was last held? If ever. But the law allows 10 parishioners to ask for one,
and ten did. At first, the Vale ruled against holding it, but then they
changed their minds, and they have now decided that it can go ahead
after all. The poll tests the parish’s views on renewing the lease on the
Scout Hut for 20 years, though the result is not binding. Likely date is
June 9th.
39
40
National Flower Arranging Day
Yes, there is such a thing! It was on 7th
May, and Ann Dawson, who uses her plot
to grow flowers, decided to mark it with an
arrangement on the allotment gates. The
National Association of Flower Arranging
Societies has clubs country wide, and our
local one is in Cumnor (see Local
Organisations page), where you can
enjoy:
Workshops
Demonstrations
Competitions,
as well as fun and friendship. Thanks,
Ann, for adding sparkle to the day.
Foodhub
Did we mention that the Oxford Foodbank has changed its name? They
got tired of explaining that it wasn’t like other Food Banks, in that people
don’t buy one tin and donate the free one in the box by the supermarket
door. The food that pours into the renamed Foodhub all comes from
overstocked supermarkets and other wholesale suppliers. It has
reached its ‘sell-by’ date, but not necessarily its ‘use-by’ date. This
brilliant Oxford initiative, based in Curtis’s Yard, is going from strength to
strength. We’ll be reporting more fully next month.
Tap Social Movement
Are now open again: Thursdays 510pm, Fridays 411pm and
Saturdays 211pm, with a food vendor/food truck on those evenings.
Still finalizing plans for music and ticketed events earlier in the week.
41
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 67.30 Jean
Metson, firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
mail@thefourth.org.uk Website:
http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group
Tues/Thurs 9.1511, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry
Clark 0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8
weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan
Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West
Way, contact us via Facebook or email
botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Alternate Thursdays. Seacourt Hall. Jackie Warner
Ox721386
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela
Astley-Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142
or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 79pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett
862788 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old
School. 01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club
http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865
721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton Village Hall. C. Casson 01235
831352 or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org,
call 863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey
Family club Email: Tennis@OxfordSportsLTC.org
42
Let’s Sing! singing group
Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email
emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
MonFri 7.45am6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 10 12.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volun te ers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council
Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259
Oxford Harmony Men's
Acappella singing group
Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Con-
tact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,
twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
raleighpark@raleighp ark.o rg.uk
Saturdads at
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 amnoon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate Club
6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car
park, Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913
West Oxford Bowls Club
Contact details on
www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 103pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley)
Liz Manson, 244175 or
liz.mans o n @virginme d ia .c o m
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
43
ley Baptist Hall
West Way Place
Contact: Rev Kalyan Das
Te l . 0 7 8 4 1 8 6 7 9 6 7
The Rosary Room
Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise
Contact Maria Brown,
Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .
SS Peter & Paul Church
Hall, West Way, Botley
Contact: 07946 463741 or
osneybenefice@outlook.com.
Women's Institute Hall,
North Hinksey Lane
Contact: Val Warner
Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3
Seacourt Hall, West
Way Place, Botley
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,
Elms Rise, Botley
Contact: Darren Blase 241254
louiememorialpavilio n @gmail.co m
Oxford Rugby Club,
North Hinksey Village
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane
1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11 .3 0 a.m .
3 rd Sunday, Matins 11.3 0 am
St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way
2nd Saturday each Month, 46pm Messy Church for children and their carers
1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy Communion
All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children
Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House
Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. 01865 242345 or revclare@btinternet.com
Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Roman Catholic, Yarn ells H il l
Saturday 6.30 pm. Mass
Sunday 9.15 am Mass
Fr Daniel Lloyd. 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Botley Baptist Church, West Way Place
Sunday Service 10.30 am.
Mid Week House Group 8.00 p.m.
Family Worship Service 5 - 6pm on Saturday
Rev Kalyan Das 07841 867967 www.botleybaptistchurch.org
Calvary Chapel
Sunday services held at Botley School 10.3012 noon
Pastor Philip Vickery 01865 864498
calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk;
www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk
44
Sprout
June 2021
Still not enough going on for a monthly diary. Let’s hope
there’s more to note next month. Meanwhile, for
help with Covid, see the numbers below.
See North Hinksey Parish Council website for a comprehensive
list of all the local support groups currently in operation, as well
as advice on asking for help and looking to volunteer. It’s at
https://northhinks e y -pc.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub/ If you
have something to add, please email the website manager
Councillor Lorna Berrett on lberre t t.n h p c @gma il.c o m.
Church contact details on inside back cover
Oxford Hub’s email is: hello@oxfordhub.org
Phone: 07957 105129 (9-5pm Mon-Fri)
Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 3309 042
Woodlands Pharmacy: 01865 242649
Lloyds Pharmacy: 01865 247023
Age UK Oxfordshire offers a new telephone support line for
older people. Leave a message on 01865 411288 and they will
call you back.
Nextdoor North Hinksey is a local chatroom full of help and
advice. Anyone already on it can invite you to join (or contact
the Sprout)
Finally, two handy Facebook pages:
The Botley Notice Board (OXON)
and Oxford Covid-19 Mutual Aid group